Salto to Colonia

I am BACK in Rosario,Colonia for 3 days with one of my best friends in the mission, Elder White from my group. Our mission President asked us to come down here from Salto (9 hour trip) to do some work here! So whooo! It is crazy returning after nearly 2 years. What a blessing.

On Tuesday we had a special zone conference  in Paysandu which was spiritually edifying! We got back to our area with a little time to make some visits. Before we got home, I felt that we should visit a less active sister whom we never got to meet, because we tried visiting her twice before with my last comp but she was never there. So we went, found her house and she (Rocio) was there! And extremely happy to see us! We talked to her a bit and planned to stop by again! I know the Lord has prepared her heart to receive the gospel again!

Wednesday, we found Ezekiel who invited us in his home to teach! It was awesome! We taught about God being our Heavenly Father and that is what is most important for someone to learn about the gospel. We found Nely Curbelo (a less active member) and taught the importance of keeping the sabbath day holy! Then we met (just contacting) Alejandro who invited us in his house. This is probably the most humble person I have met in my life. He is chosen. We taught him part of the Restoration then changed the lesson to the importance of prayer and faith.

On Thursday, we visited Suly and Antonio (two investigators) and we helped them understand what faith is and how it will lead us to our salvation! We taught Pablo and Lucia after, using King Benjamins speech (Mosiah 2) to help them understand that we are ALL debtors. However, as faithful saints we are blessed debtors who will receive eternal life if we continue being faithful!

Friday, we did divisions and I got to work with Elder Lopez again! We taught Elba and her grandson, Gustavo the Book of Mormon! After we found Valeria Medina, who is an ex investigator. She was willing to listen to us and she promised that she would pray to know if God exists! We returned to Alejandro and met his mom whose name is Felicidad (Happiness) and we taught the Restoration, with power and authority. The Spirit was strong, and Felicidad told us in that moment that the church was true. It was awesome!! The Holy Ghost is the teacher. I absolutely love this work. I will give it my all!

Salto Explota!

We had an incredible week!
On Tuesday we traveled to Montevideo (6.5 hours) for a leadership council with our mission president which was great! We had the opportunity to study the scriptures together, share ideas and receive direction from the Lord!

On Wednesday, we visited Hermana Chivel who was sick before, but now she is 100% better and she left to work with us and visit her neighbors to share the gospel!! What a dedicated daughter of God!!! We found Palacio and Nilda who are willing to listen! The Lord´s work is always 100x better when the members are involved and I can testify of that!

Thursday we had divisions and they were amazing! I worked with Elder Campos (got to use some Portuguese, hes from Brazil) and we had a great lesson on the Restoration with 3 new investigators (all young men and women)! You could see how interested they were in knowing which of all the churches was true! I also got to hold a pig!

On Friday, we found Aida, who is a member who was very sick as a result of the cold. For those of you who dont know, its winter down here in Uruguay, and its Freezing!!! WHOO. But yeah, we were able to comfort Aida which the scriptures and sincere prayer! A sweet hermana  (:
We also taught the Sponda family the importance of 2 questions asked in Alma 32:10 &11

Saturday was amazing. We taught the importance of family prayer to Leticia Olivera and she came to church and promised to prayer in her family everyday!!!!
We taught Elba the Doctrine of Christ in 3rd Nephi 11 using Christ´s words!!! We taugh Nely and her husband Vicente (who looks like an Uruguayan Albert Einstein!) ahahaha
Our main message that day to everyone was to leave everything behind and follow Christ! I know this is true!!
Elder Teloma

The Final Change

The Joy This Gospel Brings

Tuesday, we taught Susanna Fagundez the law of the fast. She is a less active sister who wants to come back to church and wanted to know more about fasting in order to keep this commandment. So we helped her out with that and it was a very special lesson.
We also taught Maria the importance of family history and temple work and how they go hand in hand.

On Wednesday, we taught Leticia, who told us that she really wants to go to the temple. And we had actually prepared a lesson on the temple and the steps to get there! It was not a coincidence. It was what she needed to learn, and we came prepared to teach. We also taught Gladys Diaz the message of the Restoration!! I love teaching that lesson to members just to be able to return to the foundation and strengthen our testimonies there where it is important. After we met a guy named Ezekiel who has a brother named Israel. Hahah, he was like "I also have a sister." And I said "Really! What´s her name?" And hes like "Oh nothing from the Bible...its Evelyn." And I was just disappointed. Hahaha. No but I was pretty disappointed.

On Thursday, we had divisions and I had the opportunity to work with Elder Campos, from Brasil! For the first time in about 3 months, I got to speak Portuguese again! Yay! But we had miracles all day. We were walking down the street and I was like "Hey lets go knock this door quickly." We went and we introduced ourselves as missionaries to Marikena (about 25 years old). We asked if we could share the gospel message and to our surprise she says "Im with my mom and brother, but yeah, we´d love to hear it." And she opened the door for us. We were in shock, hahah, but we walked in, taught the message of the Restoration with the Holy Ghost testifying clearly of our words. It was incredible the Spirit felt in that moment when we presented the first vision. In the end, they promised that they would pray to know that the message is true.
After we visited Aida, an active member who lives with Suly (her daughter) and Suly´s husband Antonio, who are not members. We asked if we could share with them the Restoration, and we did. Ask we spoke and testified of the Savior Jesus Christ, Suly began to cry. In the end, she told us that she felt it was true, what we had taught. It was a miracle!

Friday, we visited the Gimarais family and watched a great video on the Mormon Channel called "Acompañame" or "Abide with me".
Saturday, we had a lesson with Florencia on "enduring to the end". Also, the group of members (including Maria who was baptized 2 weeks ago) returned from the temple!!!! Maria was able to be baptized for her grandmother in who passed away. And on Sunday she bore her testimony on her first time in the temple and how she felt. It was incredible!! I love this gospel and the joy it brings!

Elder Teloma

Maria before her trip to the temple!!!!

haha. pitbull

Salto!

We had an incredible week!
On Monday we read Alma 36 with Beatiz Chivel and her son Luis to come to the conclusion that "all who put their confidence in God will be abundantely blessed, and in the end with recieve eternal life." It´s a simple, yet profound promise.

On Tuesday, we found Jose Fernandez, who is a less active member who has gone through alot. We got to know him and we honestly just listened. We were able to share a scripture in the end and he promised he would return to church! A promise which was fulfilled on Sunday! Also, the sister missionary who found him and taught him 4 years ago happens to be the granddaughter of President Henry B. Eyring (Hermana Eyring). To end that day, we had an incredible lesson with Maria on baptisms for the dead in the temple. She loved it and enjoyed it, but most importantly, she understood.

On Thursday, we taught Gladys Diaz "enduring to the end" now that she has returned to church!
We taught Rosiaro, an investigator who believes the church is true but needs to act!!

Friday, we taught Leticia the Doctrine of Christ and she also understood and also promised that she would return to church!! A promised that she also fulfilled on Sunday! We had a great ward activity where we watched "Meet the Mormons". The ward is very united and there is just a great spirit!

On Saturday we had an incredible lesson with Bilma, a less active, who has gone through alot and really wants to return to church. We helped her feel the Spirit as we searched and read the Book of Mormon. We had a lesson on geneology with Maria and in this lesson she bore her testimony and I can honestly say that she is truly converted to the gospel. In the two months that I have gotten to know her, she has changed completely and you can see the happiness in her eyes.
Oh yeah and Uruguay beat Jaimaica in the Copa America!!!! Whoo!! Uruguay!

I love this work, there is nothing better. I know this church is true and that Jesus Christ is at the head!

Elder Teloma

In the Service of the Lord

This week was very challenging yet very rewarding. So on Monday night my comp and I took a 7 hour bus ride to Montevideo, the Capital of Uruguay, for a leadership conference with our mission president. We spent Tuesday there and it all went great! However, I ate something that made me sick. Before getting on the 7 hour bus ride home, I noticed my stomach was not okay, but I ignored it, got on the bus and fell asleep. Anyway, after an hour, I woke up with pain in my stomach and jolted to the restroom. My stomach refused to process what I had eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner that day so the food all came out the way it came in. This pattern of running to the restroom to throw up was repeated about twice an hour for the next three days until Friday morning, when I got better! The mission doctor told me that I had a virus and that I had to stay in bed and drink gatorade. Hahah what a combination. I´m 100% okay now. I only tell you this story to avoid starting the blog with what happened on Friday.

So on Firday, we had a zone meeting with the missionaries in the department of Salto and it went well! We have a solid group of dedicated missionaries who know why they are here. We visited the Esponda family, had a great lesson with them and invited them to Maria´s baptism on Saturday!

On Saturday Morning, we received a text from a less active sister asking us to come by to give her a blessing of counsel and comfort. We were surprised by her text, but very happy to do it. She told us that she wanted to change her life and come back to church. So we shared a scripture with her, invited her to the baptism and to church the next day. And she came to both!
Then we went on divisions and I went to work with President Tate, 1st counselor in the stake presidency, and we had an incredible lesson on the Book of Mormon with Antonella (a new investigator). When we gave her the Book of Mormon, she was extremely happy and said "Yes! Finally!" She promised that she would read it and that she and her daughter would come to church on Sunday! Two promises that were fulfilled!
Then.....Maria´s baptism!!! It was perfect. Maria was very nervous yet extremely happy. After her baptism, she bore a powerful testimony. Her feelings of peace and joy brought her to tears at the end of the baptismal service. It was an amazing life-changing day for Maria. On Sunday she was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints and received the Gift of the Holy Ghost. She will forever be a strong servant in the Kingdom of God.

This was by far one of the most rewarding weeks of my life. Fulfilled in the service of the Lord.
Elder Teloma

Playin with Pitbulls...oh yeah